Self-loading slag pot transporter

ABSTRACT

A self-loading slag pot carrier trailer has trunnion-engaging hooks mounted on a U-shaped rack which can be rocked on pivots carried by its draft beams. On each side of the rack is mounted an individual wheel assembly, the axis of which is spaced from the pivot axis so that rocking of the rack moves the wheels from their loading position rearward of the pivot axis through an intermediate traveling position to their dumping position forward of the pivot axis. This rocking also moves the hooks from a depressed loading position, in which they can be caused to engage the slag pot trunnions by backing the trailer, to a position below and forward of the pivot axis. For dumping a slag pot, the cross-piece of the U is positioned to lie against a portion of the upper wall of the pot so that as the rack is rocked to its dumping position it tilts the pot on its trunnions. Power operated means are provided for rocking the rack.

United States atent [1 1 Brock Feb.4, 1975 SELF-LOADING SLAG lPOT TRANSPORTER [76] lnventor: Gibson E. Brock, RD. 5 Persimman Rd., Sewickley, Pa. 15143 [22] Filed: May 1, 1974 [21] Appl. No.: 465,863

[52] US. Cl. 214/314 [51] Int. Cl. B65g 65/04 [58] Field of Search 214/506, 312, 313, 314, 214/315, 317

[56] References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 3,065,993 11/1962 Schramm 214/317 3,378,155 4/1968 Steiner 214/313 Primary ExaminerAlbert J. Makay Assistant Examiner-Lawrence J. Oresky Attorney, Agent, or Firm-Buell, Blenko and Ziesenheim [57] ABSTRACT A self-loading slag pot carrier trailer has trunnionengaging hooks mounted on a U-shaped rack which can be rocked on pivots carried by its draft beams. On each side of the rack is mounted an individual wheel assembly, the axis of which is spaced from the pivot axis so that rocking of the rack moves the wheels from their loading position rearward of the pivot axis through an intermediate traveling position to their dumping position forward of the pivot axis. This rocking also moves the hooks from a depressed loading position, in which they can be caused to engage the slag pot trunnions by backing the trailer, to a position below and forward of the pivot axis. For dumping a slag pot, the cross-piece of the U is positioned to lie against a portion of the upper wall of the pot so that as the rack is rocked to its dumping position it tilts the pot on its trunnions. Power operated means are provided for rocking the rack.

7 Claims, 5 Drawing Figures PATENIEBFEB'WS SHEET 1 [IF 4 PATENTEU FEB 75 SHEET 2 OF 4 1 SELF-LOADING SLAG POT TRANSPORTER This invention relates to carriers for pots of slag, molten metal or other heavy liquids or for like containers for scrap or other solid lump or granulated material, which may require to be dumped or poured out. It is more particularly concerned with a trailer adapted to be pulled over plant roadways by a conventional tractor and capable of automatically picking up the pots or ladles, dumping them, and depositing them on the ground. My apparatus is particularly useful for handling slag and the like generated in the manufacture of steel and will be described hereinafter in that context.

In the manufacture of steel slag is a by-product of the open hearth furnace, electric furnace and basic oxygen furnace processes. In the latter operation, for example, a slag pot is conventionally positioned below the converter on a rail-mounted transfer car. After the steel has been tapped out the slag is poured over the converter lip into the slag pot which is then rolled out on the transfer car, lifted off by crane to a railroad car, and pulled out by a locomotive. Steel slag is usually dumped into a slag pit as some of it is recoverable, and this dumping is effected by overhead crane and ground crew. As the operating cycle of a basic oxygen furnace is about 30 minutes or so it is evident that the handling of slag in the conventional way here described requires constant availability of railroad facilities and considerable manpower.

A number of designs of rubber-tired vehicles has been proposed for this service in an effort to avoid the use of rail facilities, for example, US. Pat. No. 3,330,492 issued July 1], I967, to E. S. Kress, U.S. Pat. No. 3,446,378 issued May 27, 1969 to R. A. Miller, and U.S. Pat. No. 3,722,720 issued Mar. 27, 1973 to J. O. Sjostrom et al. Each of those devices is relatively complicated, however, and would require considerable maintenance.

It is an object of my invention to provide easily maneuverable pneumatic-tired trailer apparatus for carrying slag pots and the like over roadways in the plant. It is another object to provide such apparatus which automatically picks up a slag pot, dumps it, and then sets it down again. It is still another object to provide such apparatus which automatically raps or impacts the pot in a downward direction after dumping so as to dislodge slag which has solidified against the pot wall. It is a further object to provide failsafe apparatus as above described. Other objects of my invention will appear in the course of the description thereof which follows:

My apparatus to be described more fully hereinafter comprises a two-wheeled trailer adapted to be pulled by a heavy-duty tractor such as the two-wheeled tractor conventionally used with large earth moving equipment. The trailer wheel assemblies are individually mounted on a U-shaped rack which holds a slag pot within it and is itself mounted on the trailer draft beams to pivot about an axis which is spaced from the wheel axis. When the rack is rocked to the position bringing its wheels farthest from the tractor, hook elements projecting rearwardly from the rack are caused to engage the trunnions of a slag pot or scrap b'ox resting on the ground by backing the tractor toward it. The rack is then rocked so as to raise the hooks and pot into a traveling position in which its wheels are pulled closer to the tractor.

When the loaded trailer has been towed to its destination, the pot is dumped by rocking the rack so that the wheels are moved to their position closest to the trailer. The crossmemberof the U bears against a portion of the upper surface of the slag pot and causes it to tilt backwards and pour out its contents. The empty pot is set down by rocking the rack back again until the bottom of the pot rests on the ground The trailer is pulled forward to disengage its hook elements from the slag pot.

An embodiment of my invention'presently preferred by me is illustrated in the attached figures, to which reference is now made.

FIG. 1 is a partial plan of my slag pot-carrying appa- 'showing in solid lines the apparatus in its dumping position and in broken lines the apparatus in position intermediate its traveling position and its dumping position, and

FIG. 5 is a rear elevation of the apparatus shown in solid lines in FIG. 4.

My apparatus is pulled by a conventional tractor 10 which need not be described further than to say that it is provided with an upright coupling member 11 which is mounted on the tractor on longitudinally disposed pivot 12. Coupling member 11 is coupled to pull yoke 13 of my apparatus by vertical pivotmeans l4. Steering of the tractor-trailer assembly is conventionally effected by hydraulic cylinders 16, one on each side of pull yoke 13, attached at one end to that yoke and connected at the other end with coupling member I1.

Pull yoke 13 is affixed centrally to transverse torque tube 17. An upwardly bowed draft beam 18 is rigidly attached to each end of torque tube 17 and extends rearwardly thereof. The rear end of each draft beam 18 journals a shaft 19 between which is mounted a loadcarrying rack 21. Rack 21 comprises a side member 22 on each side extending forwardly from shaft 19 when my-apparatus is in its traveling position as shown in FIG. 2 as forward element 23, and rearwardly as rear element 24. At the outside end of each rear element 24 is a bearing 26 in which is journaled an independent rubber-tired wheel assembly 20, including a brake. The side members 22 are connected by a forward crossmember 27 which has a central portion 28 which bears against the slag pot just below its rim.

Mounted on draft beam 18 is a rotary torque actuator 33. Rotary torque actuators are well known and are used, among other things, for operating plug valves and the like. A rotary torque actuator of a construction commonly employed is described and illustrated in US. Pat. No. 3,338,140, issued on Aug. 29, 1967 to J. M. Sheesley. It will not be described in detail here, other than to say that the shaft to be rotated carries a pinion which engages a pair of parallel toothed racks, one on each side of the pinion. Each end of each rack is connected to the piston of a hydraulic cylinder and, by admitting fluid under pressure to alternate pairs of diagonally opposite cylinders, the pinion is rotated in either direction. By shutting the valves in the hydraulic fluid lines to all cylinders, the pinion is locked in position. Rotary torque actuator 33 is provided with conduits for hydraulicfluid from a source thereof under pressure, not shown, and appropriate valves, also not shown. Its shaft is connected to shaft 19.

Extending rearwardly fromeach side member 22 in termediate shaft 19 and wheel assembly axis 26 is a C- sh'aped hook 34' positioned so as to open generally rearwardly when my apparatus isin its traveling position. Each hook 34 is dimensioned to receive a trunnion of a slag pot or other type of ladle to be carried. Hooks 34 may be provided with latches to enclose the slag pot trunnions and prevent their moving out of the hooks when the rack is tilted. With certain known constructions of slag pots, however, latches are unnecessary, and they can also be rendered unnecessary by relatively simple modification of other constructions. I describe and illustrate here both the known construction above mentioned and also a modification. It will be understood thatmy apparatus can employ either one, but need not employ both.

Slag pots are conventionally provided with trunnions so that they can be lifted by overhead cranes and tilted on their trunnions for dumping. On a transfer car, however, it is desiredto have the slag pot firmly seated so that it will not tilt. One construction adapted for that purpose is illustrated in the drawings. Trunnion 41 projects from trunnion supporting block 42, the outside face of which is perpendicular and the inside face of which conforms to the-frusto-conical surface of the slag pot. The lower-face 43 of support block 42 is horizontal when the slag potis upright, but is recessed with respect to a portion 44 at each end. Those end portions 44 form legs upon which the slag pot rests when it is on the transfer car.'The junction of the inside face of end piece .44 with lower face 43' forms a notch 45 the angle of which is somewhat lessthan 90.

Rear element 24 of my rack 21 is provided on its inside face with an inwardly projecting wedge 36. The upper surface 37 of wedge 36 is horizontal when my apparatus is in its loading position and is positioned below trunnion block 42 soas to clear end portions 44. The forward end 38 of my wedge 36 is contoured to fit notch 45.and is positioned somewhat to the rear of that notch when 'my apparatus is in its loading position.

Alternatively, slag pots of other constructions can be adapted to my'apparatus by affixing to the slag pot rim 46, at 90- from a trunnion, a latch piece 47 extending below rim 46 and undercut on its inside surface to form with the wall of the slag pot a channel 48 open at the bottom. Cross member 28 of my apparatus is provided at its center with an upstanding tongue 38 dimensioned to fit within channel 48, but positioned below and forward thereof when my apparatus is in its loading position. I

The operation of my apparatus will now be described with reference to the foregoing description and the figures. In the loading .position of my trailer hydraulic fluid is admitted to the rotary torque actuator 33 so as to rock rack 21 to its position shown in solid lines in FIG. 2. Each rear element 24 of rack 21 extends rearwardly, positioning wheel assemblies at their extreme rearward location. Hooks 34 engage the slag pot by its trunnions as shown in FIG. 2 whenmy apparatus is backed toward a slag pot.

To raise the pot to its traveling position the operator admits hydraulic fluid to rotary torque actuator 33 so as to rock rack 21 clockwise a few degrees into the position shown in broken lines in FIG. 2. This movement causes wedge 36 to move forward and upward with respect to the slag pot so that its forward end 38 enters notch 45. The same movement causes tongue 39 to move backward and up into channel 48 of the slag pot. Thus, by either of those means slag pot trunnions 41 are prevented from sliding out of C-hooks 34. To dump the pot the operator admits hydraulic fluid to' rotary torque actuator 33 so as to rock rack 21 further clockwise. That rocking causes wheel assemblies 20 to pivot about shaft bearings 19 raising the rear ends of draft beams 18 as the wheel assemblies pass under them and lowering them as rear elements 24 moveth rough their arcs. Those arcs are limited by the under sides of draft beams 18, which form a bumper for wheel assemblies 20 in their extreme forward position. As an upper rear wall portion of the slag pot rests against cross member 28 of rack 21 the pot is tipped during this movement successively into itsbroken line and then solid line positions indicated by the two views in FIG. 4, and the slag is dumped out. Wedges 36 or tongue 39 serve to hold the slag pot in hooks 34.

The pot is rapped to shake out slag adhering to its wall by admitting hydraulic fluid to rotary torque actuator 33 in the direction and for a time long enough to rock rear elements 24 of rack 21 away from torque tube 17 slightly and then reversing the rotary torque actuator 33 or disengaging it so as to rock rack 21 in the other direction. This operation raises the slag pot slightly and drops it again, the weight of the slag pot assisting its descent, jarring or rapping it when the rim of the pot strikesthe ground or curb.

After the slag pot is emptied and rapped it is returned to its traveling position in the reverse sequence of that previously described. To set the pot down wedge 36 must be moved out of contact with notch 45. This is accomplished by admitting hydraulic fluid to rotary torque actuator 33 so as to rock rack 21 counterclockwise as shown in FIG. 4 until wheel assemblies 20 reach their extreme rearward position. In that position of rack 21 wedge 36 clears the slag pot trunnion block 42.

The operation of my apparatus may be assisted or, for some purposes, carried out entirely, by the tractor 10. Wheel assemblies 20 are provided with brakes, as has been mentioned and, of course, tractor 10 also has brakes. Rack 21 is rocked from its loading position to its traveling or dumping positions in the way which has been described by setting the brakes in wheel assemblies 20 and backing tractor 10. Dumping is accomplished by backing tractor 10 until trailer wheel assemblies 20 meet the curb or barrier usually found at a dump site. The brakes in wheel assemblies 20 are then set and the tractor backed further which causes rack 21 to rock clockwise as has been described and pour out the contents of the slag pot. The potis rapped by pulling the trailer forward slightly and then backing it up.

From the foregoing description it is seen that my trailer picks up and carries its load in transit between its wheel assemblies 20 and the tractor, which provides an advantageous distribution of weight. When the slag pot is dumped the wheel assemblies 20 are in their forward position and the slag pot is cantilevered from the rear end of my apparatus, which put distance between rubber-tired wheel assemblies 20 and the hot slag being dumped. In the traveling position of my apparatus the vertical center line of the loaded slag pot in hooks 34 is rearward of shafts 19. The force required to rock the rack into its loading or dumping position is thus less than the weight of its load.

My apparatus is fail-safe. If the hydraulic fluid supply to the rotary torque actuator 33 should fail while the slag pot is in transit, the rack 21 and the pot would merely descend to the loading position shown in solid lines in FIG. 2 until the slag pot rested on the ground. This decent could be slowed or arrested by applying the tractor and trailer brakes. lf the failure should occur while the pot is being dumped, again the application of the tractor and trailer brakes would hold the pot in position and the dumping could be continued by operating the tractor in the way which has been described.

In the foregoing specification l have described presently preferred embodiments of my invention; however, it will be understood that my invention can be otherwise embodied within the scope of the following claims.

I claim:

1. Trailer apparatus for transporting slag pots and the like provided with trunnions, comprising a pull yoke, a pair of spaced-apart draft beams connected with the pull yoke and extending rearwardly therefrom, a generally U-shaped slag pot-carrying rack pivotally mounted between the draft beams at their rear ends, the pivots being positioned intermediate the cross-member of the U and the ends of its legs, an independent wheel assembly mounted at the end of each leg of the U, means for grasping a slag pot trunnion carried by each leg of the U, positioned intermediate the pivot and the wheel assembly, and means attached to the draft beams for rocking the rack from a loading position in which the wheel assemblies are rearward of the pivots through an intermediate traveling position to a dumping position in which the wheel assemblies are forward of the pivots, and means mounted on said U-shaped rack for movement therewith which causes the slag pot to dump when said U-shaped rack is pivoted.

2. Apparatus of claim 1 in which the cross-member of the U is shaped to lie against a portion of the slag pot wall in its traveling position and from that position through its dumping position, so as to prevent the slag pot from swinging in its trunnions as the rack is rocked to its dumping position.

3. Apparatus of claim 1 adapted for slag pots having a notched ledge below a trunnion in which the means for grasping a slag pot trunnion comprise a C-shaped member opening rearwardly when the rack is in its loading position and a wedge adapted to fit the forward notch of the trunnion ledge affixed to a leg of the U- shaped slag pot-carrying rack so as to lie below the ledge in the loading position of the rack but to move into the notch of the ledge when the rack is rocked to its traveling position and to remain there as the rack is rocked to its dumping position.

4. Apparatus of claim 1 in combination with a slag pot, a portion of the rim of the slag pot being formed into an inverted channel, an upwardly projecting tongue carried by the cross-member of the U-shaped rack dimensioned to fit into the channel and positioned to lie below the channel in the loading position of the rack and move into the channel when the rack is rocked to its traveling position, and in which the means for grasping a slag pot trunnion comprises a C-shaped member opening rearwardly when the rack is in its loading position.

5. Apparatus of claim 1 in which the draft beams overlie the wheel assemblies and are arched so as to receive the wheel assemblies when they are forward of the pivots.

6. Apparatus of claim 1 in which the means for rocking the rack are adapted to lock the rack into selected positions.

7. Apparatus of claim 1 in which the means for rocking the rack comprise a fluid operated rotary torque actuator carried by a draft beam. 

1. Trailer apparatus for transporting slag pots and the like provided with trunnions, comprising a pull yoke, a pair of spaced-apart draft beams connected with the pull yoke and extending rearwardly therefrom, a generally U-shaped slag potcarrying rack pivotally mounted between the draft beams at their rear ends, the pivots being positioned intermediate the crossmember of the U and the ends of its legs, an independent wheel assembly mounted at the end of each leg of the U, means for grasping a slag pot trunnion carried by each leg of the U, positioned intermediate the pivot and the wheel assembly, and means attached to the draft beams for rocking the rack from a loading position in which the wheel assemblies are rearward of the pivots through an intermediate traveling position to a dumping position in which the wheel assemblies are forward of the pivots, and means mounted on said U-shaped rack for movement therewith which causes the slag pot to dump when said U-shaped rack is pivoted.
 2. Apparatus of claim 1 in which the cross-member of the U is shaped to lie against a portion of the slag pot wall in its traveling position and from that position through its dumping position, so as to prevent the slag pot from swinging in its trunnions as the rack is rocked to its dumping position.
 3. Apparatus of claim 1 adapted for slag pots having a notched ledge below a trunnion in which the means for grasping a slag pot trunnion comprise a C-shaped member opening rearwardly when the rack is in its loading position and a wedge adapted to fit the forward notch of the trunnion ledge affixed to a leg of the U-shaped slag pot-carrying rack so as to lie below the ledge in the loading position of the rack but to move into the notch of the ledge when the rack is rocked to its traveling position and to remain there as the rack is rocked to its dumping position.
 4. Apparatus of claim 1 in combination with a slag pot, a portion of the rim of the slag pot being formed into an inverted channel, an upwardly projecting tongue carried by the cross-member of the U-shaped rack dimensioned to fit into the channel and positioned to lie below the channel in the loading position of the rack and move into the channel when the rack is rocked to its traveling position, and in which the means for grasping a slag pot trunnion comprises a C-shaped member opening rearwardly when the rack is in its loading position.
 5. Apparatus of claim 1 in which the draft beams overlie the wheel assemblies and are arched so as to receive the wheel assemblies when they are forward of the pivots.
 6. Apparatus of claim 1 in which the means for rocking the rack are adapted to lock the rack into selected positions.
 7. Apparatus of claim 1 in which the means for rocking the rack comprise a fluid operated rotary torque actuator carried by a draft beam. 